The present invention relates to a combined microphone-speaker means or headset means to be used eg. in connection with telephones, announcement devices, speaker devices or paging devices, or in connection with two-way radio equipments or similar communications systems, and especially to a microphone-speaker arrangement adapted to be adjusted in accordance with the personal characteristics and likings of the user The invention relates further to a method for making a microphone-speaker device.
Various microphone-speaker combinations enabling two-way speech connection or similar are known. For the purpose of clarity and simplicity this kind of structure will in the following be called as a headset or a headset means.
It is already prior known to arrange different headsets, such as a headset for a telephone, to be supported by the auricle. Examples from such headset devices has been disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,273,969, 4,864,610 and 5,210,792. All these disclose a headset design which is of essentially rigid structure from all parts thereof. The headset comprises a preshaped rigid supporting portion, which is to be mounted behind the ear, from which a speaker portion intended to be mounted in the ear orifice and which is covering/blocking the orifice is extending, and a rigid microphone supporting boom extending towards the mouth.
A disadvantage of the disclosed solutions has been that they are not adjustable according to the personal needs of the user. The constructions are essentially big in size and heavy in weight, and thus uncomfortable to use. In addition to that, they have not proven to be such that they would stay in their mounted position, ie. they will not remain in a position as they are mounted behind the ear, but tend to slip and/or to turn in a undesired manner. In addition, these devices block the other one of the ear orifices and thus will prevent the user of hearing anything else than the sound coming from the speaker by this ear, which is not desirable in all occasions. A disadvantage is also caused by the fact that it has not been possible or easy and pleasant to use glasses, helmet or headgear or similar means which are to be held close to the ear when using the devices according to said citations.
FI Utility Model No. 2020, in turn, shows a boom structure of a headset in which a part of the short portion intended to be placed behind the auricle in the top portion thereof may be understood as being individually deformable. The part of the headset boom extending behind the top portion of the auricle branches in front of the auricle into two separate branches. Another one of these including a speaker is placed into the ear orifice and the other one is extending towards the mouth. A relatively long portion extends backwards behind the ear. However, the operation and function of this is not explained in detail by the description of said publication. Neither does the publication disclose any such technique, by means of which the design according to the figures thereof could be realized.
The arrangement according to said FI Utility Model 2020 does not solve, or solves only partially, the above disclosed problems of the prior art. For instance, it does not overcome the problem in the poor stability of the headset behind the ear as it does not provide any design which could provide a proper supporting/holding effect, which would effect to the boom of the headset from several directions such that the device could be prevented from falling down and/or turning around the ear. Instead, according to the solution disclosed therein, the headset boom is supported by the auricle only for a short distance, ie. a length of about two centimeters only. If the microphone branch of the device were longer than what is shown, the device would not stay behind the ear in conditions in which the head has to be turned or moved quickly due to the short supporting portion of the boom behind the ear. No means are disclosed by the citation, which could prevent the movement of the headset means upwards to the ear. Thus the headset according to said citation would easily drop off from the top of the ear if the head is in a position in which it is downwardly turned or due to a rapid downward movement of the head, or at least the headset would turn to a position in which it cannot be used.
Even in this prior art solution the speaker portion of the headset covers or blocks the auditory meatus of the ear and thus prevents listening anything else than the speaker. In addition, the microphone will remain essentially too long apart from the mouth of the user and is also poorly positioned in view of the motion of the sound waves. Furthermore, the device cannot be used in connection with spectacles or different helmet types etc. head gear. The adjustment range of the device is limited, and in practice it is not possible to adjust the position of the microphone at all. A further disadvantage lies in the difficult and costly manufacture of the branch structure thereof.
The object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a totally new type of solution for adjustable headset means intended to be mounted such that they are held by the ear. The solution according to the invention provides an adjustable headset means and a method for mounting the same, which has a simple and light design and is essentially slender from the size and appearance thereof and essentially more convenient to use than the known solutions.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a headset means and a method for mounting the same which provides an essentially good stability behind the auricle but which, however, does not disturbingly bear against the auricle or other parts of the head of the user.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a headset means and a method for mounting the same by means of which the headset means does not become essentially visible from behind the auricle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a headset means and a method for mounting the same in which the position of the microphone portion can be easily adjusted relative to the mouth of the user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and a device by means of which an easier use of other possible means used in close connection with the head, such as glasses, helmets, headgears etc., is enabled at the same time with the headset means.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a method and a means realizing the same by means of which a headset means enabling good hearing and speaking connection can be mounted in connection with the head of the user in a most invisible manner.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method and a means realizing the same in which there is no need for the blocking of the ear channel by the speaker means and which thus enables the user to observe the surroundings with the same ear in connection which the headset means has been mounted to.
The present invention is based on the idea that by providing a boom structure of a headset means from an essential flexible or deformable and elongatedly extending structure, said elongated boom structure including a speaker means at one end thereof and a microphone means at the other end, a headset means and a method is provided which realizes the above set forth objects.
According a preferred embodiment of the invention the headset means is comprising essentially elongated boom means adapted to be of essentially deformable structure. A microphone means is mounted at or closely adjacent to a first end of said elongated deformable boom means and a speaker means is mounted at or closely adjacent to another end of said elongated deformable boom means. The arrangement is such that said elongated deformable boom means provides a selectively deformable ear loop portion which can be adjusted to custom fit individual forms of an auricle of a user. Communication interface means are operationally connected to the microphone means and the speaker means for transmitting a voice signal. Said communication interface means may be combined with transceiver terminal means or they may be operationally connected to transceiver terminal means positioned spaced apart from the headset. Said transceiver terminal means are adapted to enable a voice signal traffic between said transceiver terminal means and at least one another terminal means.
In this context it is to be noted that by the term xe2x80x98transceiver terminal meansxe2x80x99 it is intended to mean such transceiver means which may be used as a link for the actual voice transmitting system, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or similar through, for instance, a mobile telephone or station or a fixed line telephone etc. Therefore said at least one another terminal means is to be understood as an interface to a public switched telephone network, such as a telephone terminal of a fixed telephone network or a mobile station of a mobile network or a base station of a mobile network.
In case of the combined communication interface and transceiver terminal means, they are preferably mounted in connection with and even within said elongated deformable boom means forming the headset means. Said transceiver terminal means are arranged to provide an air interface between said headset means and said at least one another terminal means.
In case said transceiver terminal means are mounted spaced to said elongated deformable boom means forming the headset means, an air interface is provided between said communication interface means included in said headset means and said transceiver terminal means.
According to one alternative the elongated deformable boom means is arranged to be adjustable from the length thereof.
The frame structure of said deformable boom means may be of suitable rubber material, plastic material or silicone material or of similar suitable elastic material. A portion of metallic material or of plastic material may be provided in connection with said elastic material of the frame structure of the boom means.
The headset means according to the present invention may further include antenna means arranged in connection with the frame structure of said deformable boom means, and preferably as a part thereof.
A method for a headset means including a microphone means and a speaker means comprises the steps for mounting an essentially elongated boom means including the microphone means mounted at or closely adjacent to a first end of said elongated deformable boom means and the speaker means mounted at or closely adjacent to another end of said elongated deformable boom means to extend around an auricle of a user such that said elongated deformable boom means is selectively adjusted to custom fit individual forms of said auricle of the user so as to provide an ear loop, transmitting a voice signal through communicating interface means operationally connected to the microphone means and the speaker means, said communication interface means being combined with transceiver. terminal means or operationally connected to transceiver terminal means, said transceiver terminal means enabling a voice signal traffic between said transceiver terminal means and at least one another terminal means.
Several advantages are obtained by means of the present invention. A headset means according to it is light in weight and slender from the design, but still provides an essentially good stability and will stay in the mounted position thereof also in conditions, in which the position of the head has to be rapidly turned and even in conditions, in which the head is in a downwardly or sideways turned position. The headset means is easy to mount and adjust to correspond the personal characteristics of each user. The adjustment of a suitable distance and position of the microphone means thereof is easy and quick to perform. It is no longer necessary to mount the speaker portion of the headset means into the ear orifice of the user so as to secure the general stability of the device, whereby the use thereof is made more pleasant and it does not prevent the user from listening the other surrounding voices by that ear. For instance, when using in a vehicle the device according to the present invention gives remarkable advantages due to the lightness, good stability, unnoticeable design and properties enabling the hearing by that ear thereof. A further advantage is provided by the general simplicity of the design, which results to an easy manufacture and low total costs of the headset means according to the present invention, as well as to a design which is easy to keep clean.